HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIMI!!!

Mimi. ....

She doesn't think twice before she climbs in the creek, or scales a mountain to collect firewood. She is sweet and sassy and full of FUN!

She fights tirelessly for the people she loves, and she gives GREAT hugs!

She is creative and incredibly generous.

She always smells like vanilla.

Her brain is always working, and always thinking, and always trying to make a good plan a BETTER plan.

She has a solution for ANYTHING. (whether I want to hear it or not!)

We love you Mimi!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

FINALLY. a massive NC update!

OKAY. it has been a CRAAAZY week around here. Trying to get caught up, do laundry, unpack, get settled, AND make bryce's halloween costume, and get ready for Eric's birthday, plus some Halloween festivities. BUT, without further ado, as fast as I can - before bryce wakes up - here are a ton of pictures from North Carolina, in no particular order! ENJOY! One of Bryce's all-time favorite activities at the cabin has always been to dig in the rocks - and this was no exception!!! He wanted to be outside, sitting in the driveway with a bucket and a truck any chance he could!!!
(I am pretty sure this face means, "Seriously Mom? STILL taking pictures? Whats your deal, woman?"

Having an in-depth conversation about leaves and rocks, and what's for lunch.

Playing Mousetrap with Mimi. (Funny how he carried the mice around the ENTIRE time we were there - they even came home with us! Not the game - just the mice!)

" fishing" in the creek with poppy! (the pole has a little plastic fish on the end. Bryce loved throwing it in the creek and then reeling it back in!)

Tromping through the woods at Timber Creek (anyone want to build a house?)

walking around downtown, shopping, eating, and getting treats!

playing "Spy" (which really sounds like "PIE" when bryce says it) with new walkie talkies! (and well, maybe jumping in the creek a time or two, as you can see by the wet pants!)

Roasting marshmallows (after a hamburger dinner on the porch, of course!)

You know there are a ton more pictures. But that's it for now.

Last night we went to the zoo for Spooktacular, a big Halloween event they do every year. The kids get to go from treat station to treat station, collect lots of goodies, and see lots of volunteers in costumes, look at a kajillion decorated pumpkins, lots of music, dancing and FOOD. It was SUCH fun. Not all of the animals are out, but we did get to see a jaguar, the giraffes, and the bobcats. Bryce was up REALLY late, and totally full of sugar. I think it was about 10 before he finally fell asleep!! Tonight we are going to go trick-or-treating and visiting family and friends, - which means I need to go put the finishing touches on the robot costume! I hope it makes it through the night! XOXO

its looking like fall around here!

thank goodness for FALL WEATHER. what we haven't felt in florida yet, we are certainly getting a healthy dose of here in North Carolina!! We spent pretty much the ENTIRE day outside today (including lunch and dinner!) Bryce is just about the happiest little person you could ever imagine. He spent the day digging in the rocks, walking in the creek, raking leaves, tromping through the woods, going for a wagon ride, and exploring EVERYWHERE. The weather is PERFECTION, and the leaves are AMAZING. I will try to share some more pictures soon!!! XOXOXO

one happy kid and his pumpkin

bryce has been DESPERATE for his first pumpkin of the year. (Yes, FIRST means there will be more to come.) Last year, he had a little collection of tiny pumpkins that stayed next to his bed, for weeks. . .until they started to rot and we had to get rid of them. And THAT my friends, was not a happy day!) So in honor of his extreme patience, I got him a pumpkin yesterday at the grocery store. He has taken it everywhere with him. He even took it to the coffee shop with us this morning, "Because our friend Marcy hasn't seen our pumpkin yet!!" (Marcy is our friend who works at the coffeeshop down the street.) HAPPY OCTOBER!!!!! We are off to North Carolina next week, where it will REALLY be feeling like October. Wooohooo!

i need you!!!!

today starts the FINAL round of the stamp contest I have been in. I am in the final four, and voting this week will determine the ONE winner. You can see my layout on MY blog, and voting will take place from noon MST Monday, through noon MST on Thursday, at www.stampcontest.blogspot.com

Please please PLEASE go vote!!! :)
THANK YOU!!
XOXOX

the beach

As promised, here are the photos from the beach! We went and played one night after dinner . . .the weather was perfect, and the sun was setting - it was such fun! We only stayed for a few minutes, but we definitely want to go back and do it again! I love how Bryce is standing on his tip toes on the photo of him by himself. He loves running down to the water and then letting the waves chase him back to dry sand. The tide was coming in REALLY quickly while we were there, so there was hardly ANY dry sand to run to!

XOXO

st. auggie or bust!

Our friend Bob, from Flagler (yes Karisse, "Flagler Bob") came down from New York to visit this past week, and we went EVERRRYWHERE. It has been a BUSY week. . . almost like WE have been on vacation, because the laundry has piled up, the bathrooms are a mess, and nothing has gotten done - except for PLAYING all day! We all piled into the minivan together, and spent a day in St. Augustine last Friday. We enjoyed wandering around downtown, playing at the playground (which I apparently got NO photos of) and picnicking (is that a word?) at the old fort. We all agreed, that somehow just BEING in St. Augustine makes the whole world okay. There's nothing in particular I feel like I have to do, and no place i HAVE to go. . .its just breathing in the St. Augustine air (minus the horse poop smell) that makes us all feel comfy, and happy. It really is a home away from home for each of us, even if we only spent four (or so) years there. So we had a TERRIFIC time. (And of course, what trip down to St. Augustine would be complete, without a stop at Dairy Queen on the way back!?) Stay tuned soon for pictures from Jax beach!

XOXO